Motherly Timing
by Hells-maid
Summary: scout happens to be a liar and might have just ruined every chance at miss pauling but gained chances in a place he never would have thought of even looking


It was a cease for all the mercenaries, and though Medic always had them up at 4:30 a.m. on the nose; at this particular point in time it was about lunch- and Scout always had the tendency to sleep late no matter the schedule. today was no different, a drool soaked pillow, boxers in a knot around the blankets, it was a miracle to just be able to sit up and not have to wrestle the covers off his legs. This morning felt tense but he could feel the ease of cease fire relaxation creaking throughout himself as he sighed and popped almost every bone in his body with a gnarly 'kRACK!'. he yawned and smacked his lips a couple times. tasting the sleep in his mouth was gross as ever tasted like bonk overdrive, however he did smell the faint stagnant bacon and toast, truly would be a shame if he had been made a plate then let it sit. His roomie made the best breakfast out of all of them- it even rivaled Spy's French toast if anyone could believe that they were all too scared to try the food.

He grabbed his plain blue long-sleeve shirt and slipped it over his numb shoulders. The pain from yesterday's tussle was throbbing all through him. a few stab wounds that needed gauze; the stuff medic couldn't deal with since heavy and engineer had worse wounds. though the cold made the weeping sores feel numb as numb could be, it was still really tender too touch even with the healing warm of the shirt. His ankles were wrapped and his arm had a gash from eyelander- the poor little runner could hardly breath without everything throbbing in time with his fast heart. The one he was given when he joined the crew…ahh what a day that was, he would never forget the angry bird and the extreme punch to the chest that was. However heavy seemed to do a good job reminding him yesterday and scout knew something had too be broken from it. he looked out the window and saw the freshly fallen snow. Being stationed away from the heat of new Mexico for once was a surprise, one that the gang all hated except pyro. Pyro ADORED the snow.

It was beginning to grow closer to Christmas, and he was sick of missing out on seeing his mom, since she still lived back in Boston. The snow just reminded him more of home. It was more than likely snowing there already too. Most of the time he missed out on the cool stuff and got socks from everyone, but that didn't mean he didn't miss it. Hell he was living in a mountain of the damned socks one year. his face contorted when he remembered the year that he got his sandman baseball and bat, the year his supposed dad came home, he was so small he hardly remembers it; but ma had gotten his dad a mitt that matched his balaclava and they played baseball as well as a 4 year old could, then there was last year. The year he spent away from home. He wasn't sad that year, he definitively didn't miss the noogies and the twins talking in tandem but he did miss ma and her cooking. He missed her and his family, grandma and grandpa, even his evil aunt who teased his buck teeth, and the horrible gifts he got. It wasn't about the gifts most of the past few years. It was about hating the family as much as he loved them he admittedly almost shed a tear thinking about it as he breathed on the glass…he was watching as engineer and soldier shoveled the snow out of the way towards the mess hall while pyro played in the snow and medic barked orders at the muscle shoveling snow.

He couldn't help but smile. This was his dysfunctional family now. Eli the egghead engineer who kept the jolly mood in check with his homemade ugly sweaters, he and the pyro knew how to knit. Then there was soldier who wasn't as dumb as everyone made him out to be, last year his secret Santa was medic. Ryker decided to get him what he called a Berlin Brain Bowl, and medic still wears it over his hats to keep warm and safe from the red sniper. And of course little pyro, scout wouldn't forget the stocking stuffer he was given, a small box of matches- but they were prank matches. Ones that wouldn't light and when they did it turned out the package was firecrackers. He had never heard Ryan laugh that hard. His mind scanned over everyone in the same way, using them all and their gifts as memories till he hit sniper. There were still things he didn't try to think about with sniper. Except that his gift giving skills were phenomenal and his laugh was cute after he had fogged up the window from spacing out he decided that it was time to get up and eat.

he walked out the room and saw sniper watching TV in his flannel pants and blue sweater with a red target on it- the sweater that he got last year for Christmas from scout. of course he only saw it fitting once sniper put it on and scout found that he had gotten the very same sweater from sniper for…obvious different reasons but everyone had a good laugh about it after the sweater had ruffled scouts hair. He looked so much younger and some of them swear by seeing sniper blush. Though in the cold he roses up like a spring tulip. Scout groaned and trudged past sniper. He saw the plate of cold food wanting to hit his head on the counter next too it. but stopping to stick it in the microwave occupied the thought.

The room was small and the kitchen occupied half the damn thing with an island that sniper hated, regardless scouts glassy zoned out eyes focused on the cluttered walls and tangled chords from the tv, that stretched across the floor in front of the bathroom he thought about moving the couch and tv on a regular basis so people didn't trip, but so long as he didn't host a dinner party he was fine he happened to glance over at snipers door that was open, it was making the room reek of incenses and cigarette smoke. Not that that was a bad thing it was better than the trashcan that was right in the kitchen it smelled like rotting eggs and fish…however this was home. He had all this plus the dysfunctional family what more could scout ask for. As he leaned on the counter waiting on the microwave sniper struck conversation.

"mornin' mate- thought ya' might like some grub when ya' woke up…" he was too occupied with what sounded like the newest Uber-Superstar movie to notice scout was thinking so hard he might as well have been smoking from the ears. After the microwave dinged, it was so tame scout hardly heard it and even then he scuffed his feet while he walked over to sit next to sniper after grabbing the luke-warm plate. He wasn't making much noise, he felt if he tried to make noise his arms and legs would snap off and how the thought sounded nice- phantom pains didn't sound very nice at all.

"thinkin' 'bout gettin' with the guys later and havin' a small hoorah for Christmas. Eli was hootin' and hollarin' this mornin' about it from the end of the hall when I went to get the mail…"

"Sure…id never turn down a beer or two but…man all a my body hurts…"  
"Doesn't it normally though?"  
"this time medic had ta do some extra surgery on heavy, said he would get with me asap to stitch me up an junk…but I guess he forgot"  
"aww well I could always try an do it myself!"  
"I hardly trust the doc with this shit an I don't know where that bushwacker thingy of yours has been"  
"ye don't sew with a bone saw scout."  
"you also don't wash your tools asshat!" sniper laughed heartily and went off about the movie, scout ate slowly so he wouldn't get sick while he listened to sniper talk,

"oh man you missed the best part of this movie by the way there's this one part where the main guy gets out and walks over too the lady. Okay, and get this its a heist and they need a disguise…"

After a little while of listening scout zoned out a bit. Yawning after finishing his toast that admittedly fixed his stomach pains. normally scout was sick around this time. he would have been in four rounds with another scout, shot from behind- the poor things body wasn't built to be a punching bag. He'd be coughing up bullets along with all that food he had for breakfast. Sure didn't taste as good the second time around but by then it was time to eat lunch. he sighed and attempted to lift his dead legs to toss his plate in the sink he hadn't even noticed the movie had ended till he was hunched over holding his back and sniper was nodding in approval as he changed the channel, as he stood his stomach made a funky noise but he decided against taking an antacid, instead he rinsed his plate and stood near the trashcan for a little bit. Listening to the signs that he might purge his belly like normal.

"Anythin' on the starz network for the holidays?" he asked quietly wanting anything to distract himself. He figured it would make him feel better. Sniper opened the guide again and set it to the Saturday morning children carols and clay-motion stuff letting it play while he talked to the person he roomed with from across the room, the one mercenary he thought was pretty lax for being in the job of killing. Everyone there had a sense of humor- it was fucked up-ass backwards but humor is humor, scouts humor just happened to appeal to him more for- whatever reason he could find. it was a dry-quick shot one-liner kind of humor but that's always the one to make people shoot liquid and sometimes food out of their nose. Scout was sure charming for the smallest mercenary out of them all, and the one out of nine other brothers. His childhood must have been hard with no dad too guide him though. spy offered too try and be a father figure, but scout always denied it; not just because it was the RED spy, and his mother was reportedly seen with him- but because you just don't trust the spooks. Maybe Desmond was a good man but nobody would ever know due to the fact that he was so good at his job they almost lost the blue spy for good a few weeks back too a back stab in just the right spot.

Once he was done zoning out himself sniper looked over at scout, he was bent over the trashcan red and blue from no air hardly, coughing and sputtering stomach acid and even a few bullets then sniper realized, it's hard being scout. He's not only the youngest but hes also really fast to get hurt- normally third-degree burns and bullets to the back of the head if not a knife or two in the shoulders, hell even sentries can catch his feet and what is scout without his speed. Sniper sighed and got up to pat scout's shoulder, scout jolted to look at his shoulder where the sudden pressure on a fresh healed stab wound had startled him.

"I idnt mean to scare ya…I hope you start to feelin better roo" sniper headed back to his room and grabbed his gun to get it ready for the upcoming week. he normally kept his gun pretty clean and well oiled. Heavy was the one to teach him guns need more care than you give them even if it's the best that gun gets. Scout stayed put without a word knowing that sniper would be back and he hurt too bad to even attempt to ask where he was going and if he could get him a tagamet. He sighed and tried to fix his hair a little better- just before the knocker on the door banked a few times scaring him. the faint sound of what sounded like a woman giggling made him question if he needed better clothes and a toothbrush so he could greet Pauling at the door.

He huffed and with a raspy voice yelped as loud as he could at the moment "i-I'll be right there…" it didn't help his voice was worn out from all the yelling the day before. He heard a manlier voice and it sounded familiar but he couldn't place it at all. it sounded like he had said something along the lines of French bullspew like spy but he also knew blu spy lived below their room… he creaked and stretched trying to hold down the rest of the bubbling acids coughing. He felt like one of the other team scouts had hit him in the back of the head with a bat; his eyes felt like they were pulsing out their sockets.

Sniper walked in and glanced up to see him trying to catch himself and smiled, "need a piss jar mate? I can get ya one. Ya wouldn't hafta move to go." Scout chuckled and rolled his shoulder breaking the stiffness off it like harsh ice "there's someone at the door smart-ass…" he spun on his heel and rolled his eyes smiling gently as he grabbed the doorknob. he figured it was some other chick knockin down the door with her boyfriend but what he saw was something better for once.

"who is it scout?" sniper had sat down and started to polish his beautiful rifle- Sheila. Scout didn't even look away for a second to answer him.

"…ma?"  
"who?" sniper raised a brow before he saw scout move faster than he had all morning- he couldn't see out the door but it must have been someone he knew. And there wasn't screaming yet so it wasn't another angry fried chicken tramp and her beefy boyfriend.

"scout! Baby! That's what you want me to call you right? How ya doin! You look hurt- did you get a lot a kills yesterday?""

"zhat's what hes called at work darling…I'm sure ANGEL got the usual three kills then was knocked out by a firebug…ou mieux encore un espion…" the spy retorted in a sort of "don't encourage his behavior" sort of tone.

"yeah nice to see ya too kiss-ass." Scout had perked up to his normal happy status despite the blackened rings under his eyes and the multiple wounds on him that medic couldn't heal at the time. He also took that remark as that stab in his back yesterday was due to the lanky man in front of him. He narrowed his eyes at spy and awaited his snarky comeback to sink in while silently seething "or better yet a spy, yeah real subtle Desmond," he thought.

"can we come inside? Where's your wife, how is she! I want to meet her! I bet it's nice to have someone to cuddle up with at night when it's this cold out…" she meant it in a loving manner- she herself was wrapped by spy's arms and a pretty, long sleeve Blue dress with fur lining the inner parts and collar of it with a pair of pretty little knitted mittens shes had for a few years. after the first of the 9 kids were born she maintained sanity by knitting, yet she hasn't made a new pair after scout. "Those never got boring and they went with everything" she used to say. Spy was in his usual red pinstriped suit and red balaclava, honestly as much as scout hates it, that's the same balaclava from that one Christmas but Scout was too busy smiling to realize what they had asked till she waved her arms in front of scouts glassy eyes

"scout? Aren't you going to answer us?" spy said knowing very well he wasn't married to Miss Pauling like scout had hoped, scout snapped back smiling nervously.  
"gimme ahh…un-o mom-ento por fav-our…" he slammed the door as lightly as he could and heard spy's shrug from behind the door "was zhat Spanish?" and ma's response of "heck if I know" scout didn't care as he bounced over the back of the couch landing in snipers face

"snipes! igottaaskyouahuugefavor!" he pushed scout back hesitantly, searching for a hint on his pleading panicky face "yeah what is it?" he answered expecting something completely normal like 'can I use your rifle to shoot spy' or 'I need to use Sheila to prove I'm a good shot'

"ma thinks I'm married… Miss Paulin's at work and she'd never lie like this for me… Please you have ta make this believable. Please."

sniper smiled and chuckled as if it were a joke, "so you want me to pretend to be your husband then. All day?" scout shook his head "only for two hours till they leave…then you can send me to re-spawn as much as you like for a whole day." they only had to entertain this for a few hours right? Till scout's ma and spy left at least. Not hearing no Scout bounced up with mostly fear and a face red enough to rival spys tie; only to reopen the door and feign a smile "ma. Thing. Welcome…erm excuse the mess me and my husband are a tad messy being mercenaries an all" Spy about bit his cigarette in half. seeing that scout rubbed the back of his neck nervously, was spy going to fuck this up for him completely? They entered as spy pulled out another cigarette, "You can't possibly be serious about that can you?" spy cocked his head to the back toward scout at the door in an upset manner. "What that we're messy? Yeah, spy, look around you this place is a mess…" scout shrugged lightly looking back at the clutter of merasmission scrolls and tough break contracts "I meant the husband thing you imbécile!" he shouted and turned fully to scout eliciting a flinch

"Excuse you! but sniper and I are very much in love." A hand flew up to scouts chest, he acted appalled by the words spy had just spat his direction; spy hissed back "oh ho ho, a sniper is it? Where is this sniper?~" spy cooed as Ma looked around in awe that it was actually pretty clean, there was no blood, no random weapons, she was surprised her youngest son was a mercenary and more organized by half the middle four that were in the marines.

"Where? H-he's putting his gun away…and Th-that's not a euphemism…or anything…"

"i'm quite sure…" spy replaced his hand on scouts mom's shoulder and returned to looking around the room. Analyzing the filth left around by him and his mate- sniper was a piss-jar throwing bastard of a class who showed no mercy, it was a WONDER how the room wasn't riddled in clothes of all kinds and cigarette butts- had they really been dating for as long as scout made it seem, becoming sexually active would be normal yet spy saw no signs of it. He became even more suspicious the more he looked around.

He saw right through scout, but scout thought he was great at lying. He could do this. And It would be his best work yet. Sniper came back out of his room and had his hat this time, it kept him looking at least a little proper, he smiled opening his arms for scout to hug him. scout jumped a little like he had forgotten what he was doing already. He closed the door and slid around ma and spy trotting the short distance to sniper and let him hug tight. admittedly he remembers the time red ambushed them and they had to share warmth, very fondly. Sniper was the warmest of the group next to heavy. But heavy breaks anyone he hugs on accident…but this hug was short and made him want more just to hide from Desmond

"so this is yer mum and dad? Nice ta meet ya two" he squeezed scouts arm a little and added a small peck on the cheek "scout, you never told me your mum was so pretty" he had to make it believable right? Scouts mom giggled and smiled like a school girl. "scout I particularly remember the note saying… ""p.s.s. im getting married and SHE'S beautiful""…n-not that I have a problem with this…" "scout felt like this was wrong to do, but he didn't wanna let his ma down, he felt more like it didn't matter if it was only 2 hours away from breaking this dumb facade. then all he had to do was explain how he broke up with sniper and got with miss Pauling but that was another big hole to dig he smiled nervously "I just…messed up- typos and all that right? Haha!"

"if you truly love each ozer why don't you show us a little passion?"

Scout went pale. He had kissed girls before but this was his roommate sniper. "what?" as soon as he opened his mouth he could feel the red grow on his cheeks "a kiss. Give sniper a kiss" He could see spy smirking with the glee that he has bested scout and his 'lover'. his mom was gesturing as if she as well needed the proof that he loved another man; she stood there giddy and bouncing. she was so proud looking scout couldn't handle it and sniper was searching scout needing an answer, was he REALLY going to kiss scout for real? Scouts face said yes as he moved in front of sniper.

'one kiss it never leaves this room." Sniper huffed under his breath

"if you say so…" scout exhaled shakily and set his hand on the back of snipers head. He pushed the hat down in the front enough to where it touched his head. sniper grabbed scouts chin and tilted it up to look at him, sniper wasn't exactly ready but he knew he had too for scouts sake. scout swallowed thick and shakily exhaled once more before he turned enough for ma and spy to hear him snort "…I cannot believe you're makin' me do this…" He set his hands gently on snipers chest before he tiptoed and pressed his lips lightly on snipers, which were admittedly quite soft

his face was pretty red by this point. He was happy? Happy wasn't the word but the kiss was nice and sweet, the smooth skin was a different feel from the normal scruff he felt from his own face. sniper had forgotten what it was like to kiss as well. Not many women went for the bushman who stayed for hours to sometimes days, in a room with a rifle, a box of ammo, and jars filled pretty high with urine while on missions. Oh yeah the head-shot thing normally made them uncomfortable as well the whole killing for a living thing… scout pressed closer a little lost in the moment. he hadn't even had such a tender moment with miss Pauling yet and he was dating her. Well mostly if you count her going to clean up what most people didn't want to and taking scout with her like a lap dog…

he had been in need of a sweet loving kiss but he never expected it would be from sniper, he felt sniper wrap his arms around his waist and sway them gently almost subtly enough to feel like they weren't even moving. Scout resurfaced for air after what seemed like forever but was only a minute and a half if that, sniper pulled away from scout popping his hat back into place with a rosy smile.

"see? True passion right there…" scouts ma cupped one cheek and looped the other arm around spies free one. Ma began talking to spy about it in french and scout happened to hear the word 'overnight' in the confusion. "whoa say what?" scout stepped forward with his hands up as if he was more telling her to slow down more-so than no. taking a glance at sniper as well to be sure he was doing the right thing to ask

"yes yes we brought our bags we're staying overnight! We want to see you go on a mission its been forever since I saw my baby!" she squealed as she opened her arms clamping down onto scout

""haha! Great! Mick isn't that great! " he said pressed against his ma's chest as she gushed to spy about the trip hugging scout a little too hard. Sniper nervously and certainly surprised stared back at scout and gulped with a forced smile, "w-we'd be happy to have ya guys overnight…"


End file.
